Birthday Moments (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
by ilna
Summary: Catherine knows it's the moments that are important, whatever the day.


**Notes:** Thanks to Mari and Sammy, as always. Special thanks to Mari for helping me figure out the last scene!

Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support. I apologize for the *extremely* late posting today. It's probably a new record.

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _Birthday Moments (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)_

Catherine woke slowly to the very pleasant feeling of Steve's warm breath skimming the bare skin of her shoulder, his fingertips grazing the rise of her thinly-clad hip as she lay with her back to his chest. She didn't open her eyes right away, but she knew he'd sensed she was awake when he whispered, "Happy birthday," and pressed his lips to the juncture of her neck and shoulder and slid his hand across her lower abdomen.

Her eyes flew open and she gasped at the sensation, her expression morphing into a smile when he eased her onto her back. She chuckled at his familiar grin; even after years together he was still pleased and proud to elicit that kind of reaction from her.

He shifted down beneath the sheet, and she let out a little moan as his lips found the swell of her breasts above the hem of her tank top. He wasted no time maneuvering it up and over her head.

"Feels early," she murmured as she settled back against her pillow and let her eyes drift shut to better enjoy his ministrations.

"It _is_ early." His muffled confirmation came from against her skin.

She chuckled again. "Trying to beat Angie's wake-up call, Commander?" she asked.

"Nothin' gets past you, Lieutenant."

Smiling, she reached down to run a hand through his short hair as his lips followed a meandering path across her body, seeking out the sensitive spots that he knew so well. He'd just hooked his fingers under the sides of her panties and started to pull them off when his phone buzzed with an incoming call.

"No," he said in disbelief. "That did not just–"

His phone buzzed again and he dropped his head to her stomach with a heavy sigh.

She pushed the sheet off of them and twisted, stretching over to reach his nightstand and grab the offending item without losing the skin to skin contact they'd established. She tapped the screen to answer the call and he raised his head just enough for her to hold the phone to his ear.

"McGarrett," he said, unable to completely conceal the frustration in his voice. After listening to the details, he let out another sigh. "All right, I'll be there in twenty." He nodded to Catherine to let her know she could end the call. She tapped the screen and dropped the phone to the bed beside them.

He opened his mouth to apologize but she was faster. "It's okay, Steve."

Sighing again, he shifted up and over to lie beside her, head propped up with one hand. "It's your birthday, Cath."

"It is. But it's not like it's the first time. You went to work last year," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but this year we actually planned the day off. Both of us."

She eyed him with a wry smile. "And how often do those kinds of plans fall through because of your work or mine?"

He acknowledged the point with a resigned nod. "More times than I can count."

She leaned over to kiss him. "It really is okay. Of course we were looking forward to it, and of course it would have been nice to spend the day together, but more important than a single day is all the time that we _do_ get together now. With each other, with Angie, and with our family. No matter what day it actually is."

He smiled, shaking his head slightly in admiration. "Every time," he said. "You get right to what matters, every time."

"With our lives, I think it's important to keep things in perspective."

He nodded. After a moment, the corner of his lip quirked in a smile. "You're very wise, you know that?"

She laughed. "Must be because I'm forty now."

He shook his head. "No," he said seriously. "It's just who you are." He kissed her again.

After indulging for a long moment, she pushed lightly at his chest. "Okay, get going. Duty calls. We'll celebrate when you get home." She sat up, grabbing her tank top from where it had landed on her other side and putting it back on.

He sighed one last time, his eyes following her movements with undisguised desire. But as always, along with the desire was the depth of feeling that never failed to take her breath away.

He raised his eyes to hers. "Oh, that's a promise."

* * *

"You know, John didn't have to stay on base," Catherine said after settling Angie in the restaurant-provided highchair between her and Carrie. "Just because Steve got called in, he could have still joined us for lunch."

"I know," Carrie said. "And so does he. But when you texted about Steve, John figured we could have a ladies lunch instead."

"Ah gah buh," Angie said, smacking the mat Catherine had placed on the table in front of her. "Ah eee!"

"Between you and me, Angie," Carrie said, leaning over conspiratorially. "I think he actually likes the base food. Definitely better than anything I've ever cooked."

Angie grinned up at her as if she understood the joke.

Catherine spread a few cereal puffs in front of Angie who immediately grabbed one in each hand.

"Bummer Steve got called in, though," Carrie said. "I know you both purposely took the day off."

"We did, but there's always the risk that something will come up. We both know that."

"Sure, that's the life. But that doesn't mean it isn't disappointing."

"Of course not, but we'll still get to celebrate together. Just not the day we intended." She smiled. "Besides, we woke up together this morning, and that's more than I can say for a lot of birthdays over the years."

"True," Carrie admitted. "Well, I hope somebody's at least sang to you. If not, I'm prepared to belt out 'Happy Birthday' right here and now."

Catherine laughed. "No need. I got this from Mary this morning." She pulled out her phone and showed Carrie a video of Joan singing "Happy Birthday." The five-year-old was beaming as she sang in the McGarrett-Reyes kitchen, hanging onto the straps of her princess backpack as she swayed back and forth.

"Noni!" Angie cried, making grabbing motions for the phone when she heard her cousin's voice.

"Okay, I can't beat that," Carrie said.

Catherine played the video again so Angie could see it.

Carrie chuckled. "I love how she's wearing her backpack in the video."

"Mary said she brings it everywhere. They can barely convince her to take it off at night to go to sleep."

"That is adorable."

Catherine nodded, tucking her phone away after the video was over. "I'm sure it will wear off eventually, but I think it's great how excited she is about school."

"Noni!" Angie protested, pointing at Catherine.

"That's enough for now, honey. We can watch Joanie again later." She put another couple puffs in front of her as a distraction. Looking back at Carrie, she said, "Got a really nice card from your parents."

"Well, of course," Carrie said. "They're not gonna forget their second daughter's birthday. And speaking of cards …" She reached down into her bag and pulled out an envelope taped to a rectangular gift wrapped in tissue paper.

"You weren't supposed to get me anything," Catherine protested. "I said no gifts."

Carrie waved a hand. "Yeah, like anyone was going to listen to that."

Catherine took the gift with a resigned smile, gently removing the envelope and setting the wrapped object down so she could open the card.

Inside, the message read, _Welcome to the 40 club, bestie. They say 40 is the new 30, and I say between the two of us, 40 never looked so good. Happy birthday, and here's to many,_ _many_ _more. Love, Carrie_

Catherine chuckled and set the card down. "Thanks, Care."

"I've had membership in the club for a couple months now," Carrie said with a shrug. "It's not so bad."

"Just a number, right?"

"Right." She nodded to the gift on the table. "Go on. It's just a little something. A memory more than anything else. Came across it a month or so ago."

As Catherine started to unwrap the gift, Angie reached in her direction. "Mama bah!"

"Mommy might need some help," Carrie suggested.

"Can you tear that, honey?" Catherine said, bringing the gift closer and motioning to the flap of tissue paper she'd lifted.

Angie grabbed onto the purple paper and pulled, giggling at the tearing sound. She crumbled the edge in her fist, enjoying the crinkling sound.

Catherine tore the rest of the paper off to reveal a simple frame. Turning it over, she grinned at the picture.

"Mama!" Angie said, craning her neck to see and recognizing one of the smiling faces.

"Singapore, 2009," Carrie said.

Catherine nodded, gazing at the photo of the two of them sitting together on the sand, lifting their sunglasses to look at the camera. "We always knew how to find a beach when we had leave together."

"We were technically celebrating your birthday, even though it was mid-September by then."

"That's right, we were," Catherine said, her smile slowly growing at the memory. She looked across the table at her best friend. "Do you know what I realized? We've known each other for more birthdays than we haven't."

Carrie huffed a laugh. "We have. And you know? I kinda love that."

Catherine smiled. "Me, too."

"And like you and Steve, we haven't celebrated all that many of them on the actual day, but that doesn't mean the celebrations when they did happen weren't meaningful, you know?  
"I do," Catherine said, smiling. "I know exactly what you mean."

"And that's what makes us besties," Carrie said. She grinned. "Well, that and a whole lot of other things."

* * *

"I know you said no gifts," Elizabeth said as she came back out onto the lanai at the condo with a small gift bag. "But we were at the arts and crafts fair downtown last week and we …"

"Just couldn't resist," Catherine finished with a knowing smile. They were sitting at the table after enjoying dinner together. Angie had moved from lap to lap throughout the meal, having taken a special liking to Elizabeth's potato salad and squirming to go to whoever seemed to still have some on their plate.

Seeing the blue bag with white tissue paper coming out of the top, Angie slid off of Joseph's lap to follow it.

"Mama!" she said when Elizabeth set the gift in front of Catherine. She lifted her arms. "Up!"

"You want to help again?" Catherine asked, picking her up and settling her on one knee.

Angie grabbed at the tissue paper and Catherine held the bag in place as she pulled until she got a piece out. Squealing happily, she waved it in the air. "Ah me! Ga bah bee!"

"That's the best part right there, isn't it, sweetheart?" Elizabeth said, smiling at her granddaughter.

"Ama!" Angie said, waving the tissue paper in her direction.

Deftly plucking it from her daughter's hand, Catherine put the tissue paper on top of Angie's head. She gave an exaggerated gasp. "Where'd it go?" she asked, grinning.

Angie giggled, pulling the paper off her head. As her grandparents and great-grandmother laughed, she used both hands to try and put it back on her head herself. She giggled even more when it fell into her lap of its own accord and she scrunched it up with both hands.

"Okay, now that you have a new favorite plaything, let's see what's in here," Catherine said. Holding onto Angie with one hand, she reached into the bag and pulled out a small box.

"Here, let me help," Grandma Ang said, reaching over to help remove the top.

Catherine let out a little gasp. "Oh, they look just like the locket you gave me," she said, looking down at the pair of silver earrings in the box.

Ang nodded, her eyes flitting to the locket around Catherine's neck. "That's exactly what I thought. Almost like they were made together."

"They're beautiful, Gram," Catherine said, a soft smile on her face. "Thank you."

Ang smiled, squeezing Catherine's hand.

Catherine set the box down and reached inside the bag, pulling out a heavier object wrapped in tissue paper.

"Here," Joseph said, standing and stepping over to lift Angie into his arms. "Come here, honey."

"Apa!" Angie cried happily, still clutching her tissue paper. She waved it in his face, giggling.

Catherine unwrapped a glass jewelry dish in the shape of a green and purple butterfly.

"Oh, that's lovely," she said.

"Someplace to put those new earrings," Joseph said, winking at her.

"Thanks, Dad," Catherine said genuinely. "I love it." She held it up. "Look, Angie, remember what these are called? It's a butterfly."

"Mama," Angie said, dropping her tissue paper to reach for it. "Ah ee ma!"

Catherine guided her fingers to touch the butterfly dish. "It's fragile, honey. But feel how smooth it is. Smooth."

"Oooh," Angie echoed.

When she tried to grab the dish, Catherine reached down for the tissue paper and gave it back to her.

"There's your tissue paper."

Angie smiled, waving it again joyfully.

"We'll definitely be taking the tissue paper home, too," Catherine said, grinning.

"There's one more little thing," Elizabeth said, nodding to the bag.

Catherine took out the last item and unwrapped the tissue paper folded around it. She read the words on the small decorative box.

 _We Do Not Remember Days, We Remember Moments*_

"Ohh," Catherine said, one hand going to her mouth. "That's beautiful."

Elizabeth smiled softly. "As happy as I am to be here to celebrate your birthday _on_ your birthday for the second year in a row, I don't want to forget the years we were apart. When we made memories whenever we were together. Because it's those moments of togetherness that matter most."

Catherine blinked at the tears in her eyes. "That's right," she said. "Whenever those moments happen. We understand that better than most people. And I want to make sure Angie understands that, too, as she grows up."

"She will," Joseph said confidently. "I have no doubt about that. Because that's the example you and Steve will set."

"We will," Catherine said. Putting the decorative box down, she reached up for Angie who went readily to her mother. Sensing the mood, she laid her head on Catherine's shoulder even as she still held the piece of tissue paper tightly in one hand. "We absolutely will," Catherine repeated quietly, holding Angie close.

* * *

Late that night, Steve finally returned, not at all surprised to see Catherine sitting on the sofa when he opened the front door.

"Hey," he said, tossing his keys to the end table as she set aside her book. "There's the birthday girl."

She smiled. "Here I am." She shifted over as he locked the door. "Saved you some cake," she said as he dropped down beside her and draped an arm over her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple. "And some potato salad."

"Nice," he said. "Thank you."

"Tired?" she asked.

"Mmm," he acknowledged, nodding slowly. Smiling at her, he asked, "Did you have a good birthday?"

"I did. Not to say I didn't miss you but … I did."

"Good." He leaned over to kiss her. "I missed you, too."

She smiled at him. Sighing happily, she curled up against him, tucking her feet under her as he propped his up on the coffee table.

Noticing the decorative box she'd left on the coffee table, he asked, "What's that?"

"From Mom," she said. "Even though I said 'no gifts.' "

"Like anyone was going to listen to that."

"You, too?" she asked suspiciously.

He just smiled in response.

Looking at the quotation, he read, " 'We do not remember days, we remember moments.' "

"It's by an Italian poet."

He gazed at it thoughtfully. "Kinda like what you were saying this morning."

She smiled. "Yeah."

He sat up. "Hold that thought." He disappeared momentarily into the dining room and came back with a wrapped gift.

She shook her head, smiling, and accepted it as he sat back down beside her. She opened the wrapping paper and melted at the image she saw.

It was a candid picture of her, Steve, Angie, and Cammie in their backyard. Not one of them was looking at the camera. Their focus instead was on each other. It had been taken a few weeks after Angie's birthday party and she was walking unsteadily toward them on the grass with her arms flung open. Both Steve and Catherine were beaming proudly at her as they waited with arms outstretched, and Cammie stood behind Angie, watching carefully as always.

"Pretty great moment, huh?" he said, watching her eyes move around the picture, taking in every detail.

"I'll say."

"Your dad took it without even realizing it. He meant to record a video and did right after, but … I like this even better."

She smiled up at him. "Me, too." She leaned up and kissed him. "Thank you." With a final smile at the picture, she set it down gently on the coffee table and turned back to face him. "Now, speaking of moments," she said, running a hand up his arm. "I'm thinking of one that got interrupted earlier …"

He grinned, his eyes immediately darkening. "Oh, it's gonna be longer than a moment, Lieutenant," he said, sliding his hands around her waist. "We're not that old yet."

She laughed, tilting her head up, eager to meet his lips. "Let's make some more moments together, Commander."

He leaned down, pausing a hairsbreadth away. "Happy birthday, Cath."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Note:** * "We do not remember days, we remember moments." -Cesare Pavese

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